‘How to Get Away With Murder’: Important Character Returning on Thursday Night’s Episode

Vivian Maddox is returning to How to Get Away with Murder for the show’s final season. The character, played by Marsha Stephanie Blake, is set to reprise the role in the episode slated to air Thursday, April 16. TV Insider got a sneak peek at the episode, and it’s clear that Vivian is not back to make friends.

In the clip, Annalise Keating (Viola Davis) is alerted to Vivian’s arrival at her office, which is greeted with a resounding “Oh, hell no.” As Annalise confronts her over why she’s suddenly popped back up again, Vivian attempts to talk to her. However, she’s quickly shut down and informed that she’s being sued for harassment by Annalise herself. Vivian then fires back that the FBI killed Asher (Matt McGory).

“He’s her only child and she takes that responsibility very seriously,” Blake told the outlet back in October. And by the look of the clip, she’s doing exactly that. In the legal drama’s most recent episode, “The Reckoning,” Gabriel (Rome Flynn) had flashbacks to Asher’s murder, which led to him to call Vivian and state simply, “I need you.”

It’s unclear exactly how much disruption Vivian will bring to the legal drama before its conclusion, but the character is slated to appear in at least two episodes. Meaning it’s likely to be significant, given that Asher was first killed in a shocking episode that aired back in November. After it was revealed that the character had been coaxed into becoming an FBI informant to help take down Annalise, he was found beaten to death with a fireplace poker.

That same episode also flashed-forward to Annalise’s funeral, which certainly seems to suggest that she could die by the time the series concludes for good. Given the unpleasant circumstances surrounding Vivian’s return, it’s possible she could play a role in that outcome.

Granted, during the most recent flashback, Wes Gibbins (Alfred Enoch), was present eulogizing Annalise, and he was killed off back in Season 3, so it’s anyone’s guess what it all means at this point. Except for showrunner Pete Nowalk, who has previously stated that “Annalise Keating’s journey has always had a clear ending.”

That clear ending will be revealed in the coming weeks, when How to Get Away With Murder airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. on ABC. New episodes can be streamed the following day on Hulu.